Kimi had promised it to Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero, and the young driver from Bologna kept his word: the Motorsport Italy correspondent was the only intruder at Antonelli’s debut with the silver arrow of 2021. It happened at the Red Bull Ring in April during a test made difficult by snow. Here’s the account of an unforgettable day’s emotion.
During the weekend of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Hotel Schönberghof is an inaccessible destination. Located just a few minutes’ walk from the paddock entrance of the Spielberg circuit, it is, of course, reserved for the prominent figures of Formula 1.
The scene changes completely when there are no races at the circuit, for example, on a Tuesday last April. Spring arrives very slowly in this part of the world; winter clothing is still worn, and the atmosphere resembles that of pre-season testing, reminiscent of when it was held at the Barcelona circuit.
The restaurant at Hotel Schönberghof is accessible, and at one of the tables, Italian and English are being spoken. Andrea Kimi Antonelli effortlessly alternates languages as he talks to his parents and to Stéphane Guérin, Mercedes’ consultant who has been by his side since he took his first steps in single-seaters. “Wiener schnitzel for everyone?” Kimi begins, and the table almost unanimously agrees.
Twelve hours later, he will drive a Formula 1 car for the first time, the Mercedes W12 that was a protagonist with Lewis Hamilton during the beautiful and terrible 2021 season. In every career, there are special days that come unexpectedly, while others are dreams that slowly take shape and then come true. The first test behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car is something that remains in the memory forever for all drivers who have had this opportunity.
There is no trace of nervousness; dad Marco and mom Veronica likely mask it very well. Antonelli holds court, moving from discussing the driving position (“it seems very comfortable”) to the weather: “Let’s hope I won’t have to make my first laps in a Formula 1 car on wet tires.”
Kimi does not yet know that he will be accompanied in his first test in a top-category single-seater not only by the rain; in the afternoon, snow will also arrive. He devours the Wiener schnitzel, but he makes no concessions to sweets or drinks that aren’t strictly natural water. Dad Marco breaks the ice a bit, asking, “What did the engineers tell you?” “The program will depend on the weather,” Kimi replies, “I was surprised to see them all so excited.”
Among the activities that Antonelli completed on the eve of his first Formula 1 test was memorizing the names of all the engineers he would work with. Kimi asked Mercedes for a file with all the personnel he would meet on track, connecting names to faces and memorizing everything.
This was a way to accelerate the bonding process with the workgroup. Dinner comes to an end, and Antonelli shares anecdotes from the Formula Regional season that concluded only six months prior and the difficulties he faced in the first three weekends in Formula 2, dealing with a single-seater that was not yet in top shape. His seventeen years emerge only before he retreats to his room, a kiss to his parents returned with a caress. But that will be the only time.
It rains. When Kimi opens the door to the Mercedes garage at eight in the morning, he is astonished: “All these people are here for me?” There are no guests, only the strictly necessary personnel; the test is closed to the public. But for someone coming from the paddocks of the feeder categories, the observation is accurate. For an F1 test, there are about thirty people in the garage, including engineers, mechanics, telemetry specialists, and so on. The exception is for the one writing these lines, a long-standing promise with Kimi when he raced in his first season in single-seaters. “I want to be there the day you drive a Formula 1 car for the first time,” “okay, but who knows if it will happen.” It was just a matter of time, but Antonelli has indeed burned the stages.
Kimi moves with ease, greeting everyone and chatting about the amount of rain on the track. “It looks like it’s really a lot,” he comments, “I hope I can drive; it’s okay even with the wets, but I want to drive.” At nine o’clock, the engineers oblige, Antonelli puts on his helmet, and slowly gets into the car.
Nine minutes later, the mechanics take off the tire blankets; the pressure rises, and Kimi’s hands tremble a little. At that moment, there is a lifetime of work, albeit short, but definitely intense. Dad Marco (known for being ‘tough’) can’t hide a hint of emotion, then as a track man, he sets everything aside and prepares to take the times.
The first ‘run’ ends, which consists of a few laps, followed by a short briefing with the engineers. It is quite impressive to see a seventeen-year-old provide quick and precise answers to the questions coming from the group of technicians gathered around him. Then he takes a break.
“What a thrill… as difficult as the conditions are, you immediately feel that the more you push, the more the car stays down. When you exit a corner, you realize you could have taken it faster, and then the braking, the grip in the corners despite the wets is insane, oh my.” A brioche, an orange juice, and back in the car.
At the end of the second ‘run,’ the technicians start smiling among themselves, especially Riccardo Musconi, the Imola engineer in charge of the test team. They show Antonelli the on-board images downloaded from the camera on the car, and Kimi anticipates their observations: “I think I overdid it here,” he says with a smile, and the engineers can only nod at his honesty.
It’s clear that as the ‘runs’ progress, the expression of the young driver becomes more and more serene. His hands no longer tremble, and he begins to enjoy the moment. Lunch break arrives, and it starts snowing; Kimi no longer wants to stop. He takes advantage of the break to ask if he can do a few laps with his dad’s street car. “What do you say, if I do a few laps, will anyone get mad?”
After receiving the okay, he gets into the car with his father sitting beside him and hits the track. Marco Antonelli has consumed much more asphalt than Kimi, an experience that allows him to give appropriate advice considering the very difficult track conditions.
The two exchange opinions on the racing lines, which curbs to take and which to avoid, and then Kimi overshoots the braking point at Turn 4. His father anticipates the risk of ending up in the sand and shouts a loud warning, “Careful! This could end up with us stuck in the sand and making a nice mess.” Kimi laughs: “I think you’re getting a bit too scared, huh?”
After a few laps (with the tires starting to plead for mercy), they head back to the pits. The snow continues to fall, and the program is postponed to the next day. “Did you see if my parents were excited?” Kimi asks. Receiving an affirmative answer, he admits that he was excited too. “You know, maybe I didn’t realize it at dinner last night, but today… well, when they pulled the car off the stands for the first ‘run,’ it was a mix of tension and joy.”
The baptism, wet, is concluded. His parents say goodbye to Kimi and get in the car to be at the Mugello circuit the next day to manage the family team participating in the Italian Formula 4 championship.
Antonelli prepares for the second day of testing, with the weather finally granting a reprieve so he can mount dry tires for the first time. He smiles; at seventeen, Kimi is both a man and a boy. On one side, the professional, capable of convincing Mercedes to give him a very rare opportunity in the motorsport world; on the other, the seventeen-year-old (who turned eighteen in August) who always remains under the radar.
“You know what became clear to me after today? I understood why there are a thousand people working to bring a Formula 1 car to the track.” “Ah, send me the video you made while I scared my dad!” Then he walks away in that black suit that fits him perfectly, for the last technical briefing of the day.
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